History of Rossiter System

Richard H. Rossiter, Founder of The Rossiter System is a certified advanced Rolfer, and an author of three books on stretching techniques to overcome pain. A former U.S. Army helicopter pilot and former chronic pain sufferer, Richard adapted his knowledge of connective tissue to create Rossiter Stretching, a series of more than 200 two-person techniques initially used in U.S. factories to prevent/relieve repetitive strain injuries and associated costs. Since 2002, Richard has offered training to massage therapists, body workers, athletic trainers, physical therapists and others interested in quick, effective pain relief and prevention for their clients… a series of stretching techniques that are body-friendly to the therapists themselves. He has taught Rossiter Stretching to bodyworkers throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe, including appearances as a speaker/presenter at state AMTA conventions around the US.

Richard Rossiter has been a connective tissue specialist since 1983 and founded the The Rossiter System in 1990. The Rossiter System is the outgrowth of his personal journey into and out of pain. As a teen, he suffered a severe right shoulder injury and dislocation while playing hockey in northern Minnesota. As a U.S. Army helicopter pilot, his left shoulder was injured and dislocated when he was shot down in Vietnam.

For nine years after his military service, he worked as a commercial helicopter pilot in Alaska, where the physical stress and strain of flying intensified his shoulder pain. After a long search for non-drug, non-surgical approaches to pain he underwent several Rolfing sessions, and felt his pain began to lessen. As a result of that success, Richard became a Certified Advanced Rolfer and opened private practices in Austin, TX and Little Rock, AR. Over time, he developed The Rossiter System as a way to prevent and relieve pain, immobility and central nervous system problems in clients before they were exposed to traditional U.S. medicine’s treatment regimen of pharmaceuticals, injections, splints, and surgery. He began involving his clients in their stretching sessions and moved the work from massage tables to the floor, with clients fully clothed. The entire development process of Rossiter System was under the watchful eye of neurosurgeon Dr. Jim Moore.

For more than 30 years, he worked as a small business and factory consultant who trained factory workers in-house to facilitate Rossiter workouts with each other – to prevent injuries, alleviate pain as it developed and keep medical costs low for the company/factory. He saw a consistent 60% plus reduction in workman’s compensation costs for his corporate clients. Now Richard is working on Rossiter “self help” tools while offering his unique Rossiter System training to medical and fitness professionals, bodyworkers, and the general public.